Five Panthers Named Preseason All-Sun Belt

Senior Gilmore Earns First-Team Recognition

ATLANTA -- Senior offensive guard Shamarious Gilmore was named to Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference first team and four other Panthers joined him on the second team, as voted upon by the league head coaches and media panel.

Senior nosegard Dontae Wilson, senior inside linebacker Trajan Stephens-McQueen, junior receiver Cornelius McCoy and junior cornerback Quavian White made the Preseason All-Sun Belt second team.

Gilmore, a three-year starter at left guard from Riverdale, Ga. and Drew High School, has earned All-Sun Belt honors in each of his first three seasons while starting 37 straight games. He has been a key figure in back-to-back school-record rushing seasons, including 2019, when he blocked for a GSU offense

He enters his senior season on the watch list for the prestigious Outland Trophy and a first-team selection on several preseason all-conference teams.

Wilson, a senior from Jefferson (Ga.) High School, is a two-year starter at noseguard who earned All-Sun Belt honors last fall. He ranks third in GSU history in career sacks.

McCoy (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) is a two-time All-Sun Belt selection and the Panthers' leading receiver in 2019 with 70 catches for 757 yards and five touchdowns.

Stephens-McQueen (Charlotte, N.C.) was GSU's leading tackler with 110 stops, including a school-record 20 tackles in the win over Army.

Coming off a winning season and bowl berth in 2019, Georgia State is scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 19 vs. Louisiana at Georgia State Stadium. Season tickets are on sale now by visiting GeorgiaStateSports.com/tix or calling 404-413-4020.

Louisiana was picked to win the Sun Belt West Division, while defending champion Appalachian State was the predicted overall winner, led by the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Zac Thomas.

More on the GSU selections:

SHAMARIOUS GILMORE
G • 6-3, 288 • R-Senior • Riverdale, Ga.
Three-time All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a three-year starter at left guard who has started 37 straight games ... 2020 Outland Trophy watch list and preseason first-team all-conference by the Sun Belt coaches/media, Athlon and Phil Steele ... Key figure in back-to-back school-record rushing seasons in 2018 and 2019, helping the Panthers average 208 yards per game over the last two years ... Named third-team All-Sun Belt in 2019 after helping the GSU offense set school records for rushing yards (3,141), rushing touchdowns (30), total offense (5,818), first downs (305), touchdowns (53) and points (406) ... Helped the Panthers rank No. 13 in FBS with 241.6 rushing yards per game, including school-record games against Arkansas State (340 yards), Coastal Carolina (350 yards), Troy (390 yards) and ULM (414 yards) ... Blocked for Sun Belt rushing leader Tra Barnett (111.8 ypg/No. 11 FBS) ... Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt recognition in 2017 and played every snap for the Panthers' bowl team-winning squad .... Made history as the first offensive lineman in GSU history to score a touchdown. Recovered a blocked field goal in the end zone vs. Charlotte.

CORNELIUS McCOY
WR • 5-11, 185 • Junior • Deerfield Beach, Fla.
Georgia State's top receiver who has earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors his first two seasons ... 2020 Preseason All-Sun Belt selection by the Sun Belt coaches/media, Athlon and Phil Steele ... Ranks sixth in GSU history with 105 career receptions and 1,252 yards receiving ... Caught at least one pass in every game the last two seasons (25 straight) ... All-Sun Belt Conference (third team) in 2019 as GSU's leading receiver with 70 catches for 757 yards and five touchdowns ... His 70 receptions are the fourth-best season total in GSU history, trailing only Penny Hart (twice) and Albert Wilson ... Fourth in Sun Belt with 5.4 receptions and sixth with 58.2 receiving yards per game ... Career highs with 10 receptions for 143 yards in win over Furman, including a 44-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter ... Caught a 17-yard touchdown pass in the win at Tennessee ... Recorded his second 100-yard game in win over Arkansas State, finishing with eight catches for 107 yards ... Caught a 3-yard touchdown in 31-21 win at Coastal Carolina ... Had a game-high seven catches for 66 yards in win over Army ... Finished the regular season with seven catches in each of the final two games vs. South Alabama (53 yds) and Georgia Southern (89 yds) ... Had five receptions for 78 yards in the bowl game vs. Wyoming, including a 44-yard TD ... Earned honorable mention all-conference recognition in 2018, when he started every game as a true freshman ... GSU's second-leading receiver behind Penny Hart with 35 catches for 495 yards ... Led all Sun Belt freshmen in receptions and receiving yards ... Averaged 14.1 yards per catch.

TRAJAN STEPHENS-McQUEEN
ILB • Senior • 6-1, 230 • Charlotte, N.C.
Returning starter at inside linebacker who was GSU's leading tackler in 2019 ... Named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt team selected by the league head coaches and media ... Recorded 110 tackles last season, the second-highest season total in GSU history, just six behind Joseph Peterson's record of 116 ... Fifth in Sun Belt with 8.5 tackles pg, Second on the team with eight TFL and tied for team lead with two interceptions ... Ranks sixth in GSU history with 198 career tackles ... Set the Georgia State single-game record with 20 TACKLES, including 10 solo stops, in win over Army, and was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week. ... Grabbed an interception in the fourth quarter to help seal the 38-30 upset victory at Tennessee. Had five tackles with one TFL ... Made 11 tackles with one TFL in win over Furman ... Had 10 tackles with an 11-yard sack vs. Wyoming ... Made 15 tackles at Texas State ... Made a key defensive play in the win over Arkansas State with his third-quarter interception at the GSU 45-yard line ... Had eight tackles with a sack in win over Troy ... Added six tackles with 1.5 TFL win over South Alabama ... Was fourth on the team in tackles with 50 in 2018.

QUAVIAN WHITE
CB • 5-10, 185 • Junior • Greer, S.C.
Two-year starter at cornerback with three career interceptions, along with 80 tackles and nine pass breakups ... 2020 Preseason All-Sun Belt second team by the Sun Belt coaches and Phil Steele ... Tied for the team lead with two interceptions in 2019 while while leading the squad with seven pass breakups ... Finished with 38 tackles, including two tackles for loss, in nine games ...Made a game-saving interception on fourth down at the 2-yard line with 1:00 left to seal the Panthers' 28-20 win over Army ... Grabbed an interception, which he returned 25 yards, and a broke up a pass in the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl ... Earned a starting berth as a true freshman in 2018, when he collected 42 tackles, one interception, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

DONTAE WILSON
NG • 6-0, 275 • Senior • Jefferson, Ga.
Two-year starter at noseguard who ranks third in GSU history with 8.5 career sacks and eighth with 16 tackles for loss ... Preseason All-Sun Belt selection by the Sun Belt coaches/media, Athlon and Phil Steele ... Earned honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors in 2019 ... A first-team All-Sun Belt selection by Pro Football Focus, which said, "he may very well be one of the best true nose tackles in all of college football" ... Fourth on the team with 49 tackles, including seven TFL and three sacks ... Contributed two sacks in win over Furman ... Had two key defensive plays in the second half of win over Arkansas State with a forced fumble for a 2-yard loss and then a third-down sack at the GSU 23 to force a field goal ... Outstanding game against Army's triple option offense as he made a career-high 10 tackles ... Started every game in 2018 and was third on the team with four tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, along with 30 tackles ... Backup in 2017 who helped the Georgia State defense set records for fewest points per game allowed (24.75), fewest rushing yards per game (136.4), fewest yards per rushing attempt (4.13) and most sacks (24) ... Tied for the team lead with four sacks, including one that caused a fumble at No. 5 Penn State.

2020 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Football Teams

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Zac Thomas, (App State, Senior)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Carlton Martial (Troy, Junior)

First Team Offense
QB - Zac Thomas, App State
RB - Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana
RB - Josh Johnson, ULM
OL - Noah Hannon, App State
OL - Baer Hunter, App State
OL - Cooper Hodges, App State
OL - Jarrett Horst, Arkansas State
OL - Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State
TE – Josh Pederson, ULM
WR – Corey Sutton, App State
WR – Jonathan Adams, Arkansas State
WR – Kaylon Geiger, Troy

First Team Defense
DL – Demetrius Taylor, App State
DL – Tarron Jackson, Coastal Carolina
DL – Raymond Johnson III, Georgia Southern
DL – Will Choloh, Troy
LB – Rashad Byrd, Georgia Southern
LB – Joe Dillon, Louisiana
LB – Carlton Martial, Troy
DB – Shaun Jolly, App State
DB – Kenderick Duncan Jr, Georgia Southern
DB – Corey Straughter, ULM
DB – Dell Pettus, Troy

First Team Special Teams
K – Blake Grupe, Arkansas State
P – Rhys Byrns, Louisiana
RS - Wesley Kennedy III, Georgia Southern

Second Team Offense
QB - Levi Lewis, Louisiana
RB - Trey Ragas, Louisiana
RB - CJ Marable, Coastal Carolina
OL - Ryan Neuzil, App State
OL - Jacob Still, Arkansas State
OL - Max Mitchell, Louisiana
OL - O'Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana
OL - TJ Fiailoa, ULM
TE – Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina
WR – Thomas Hennigan, App State
WR – Cornelius McCoy, Georgia State
WR – Reggie Todd, Troy

Second Team Defense
DL – Forrest Merrill, Arkansas State
DL – C.J. Brewer, Coastal Carolina
DL – Dontae Wilson, Georgia State
DL – Zi'Yon Hill, Louisiana
LB – Teddy Gallagher, Coastal Carolina
LB – Trajan Stephens-McQueen, Georgia State
LB – Riley Cole, South Alabama
DB – Shemar Jean-Charles, App State
DB – Antonio Fletcher, Arkansas State
DB – Quavian White, Georgia State
DB – Eric Garror, Louisiana

Second Team Special Teams
K – Massimo Biscardi, Coastal Carolina
P – Anthony Beck II, Georgia Southern
RS - Eric Garror, Louisiana

2020 Sun Belt Football Coaches Predicted Championship Game Winner: App State

2020 Sun Belt Football Coaches Predicted Order of Finish
East Division
1. App State
2. Georgia Southern
3. Troy
4. Georgia State
5. Coastal Carolina

West Division
1. Louisiana
2. Arkansas State
3. South Alabama
4. Texas State
5. ULM

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Players Mentioned

#5 Tra Barnett: RB; 5' 10"; Senior

#75 Shamarious Gilmore: G; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

#83 Cornelius McCoy: WR; 5' 11"; Junior

#6 Trajan Stephens-McQueen: ILB; 6' 1"; Senior

#20 Quavian White: CB; 5' 10"; Junior

#52 Dontae Wilson: NG; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Tra Barnett
: 5' 10"; Senior
: RB

#75 Shamarious Gilmore
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: G

#83 Cornelius McCoy
: 5' 11"; Junior
: WR

#6 Trajan Stephens-McQueen
: 6' 1"; Senior
: ILB

#20 Quavian White
: 5' 10"; Junior
: CB

#52 Dontae Wilson
: 6' 0"; Senior
: NG